Why I love Steve Bannon

Because I’m a Christian, that’s why.  Let’s face it, I’ve spent a dozen years reading Christians – Catholics, too – remind us that the Christian response to ISIS is to love them, the Christian response to Al Qaeda is to love them, and the Christian response to Osama bin Laden is to love him.  As Christians, we should love them as our neighbors, pray for them, forgive them and do good for them.

I figure if we can do this for ISIS or any other Islamic terrorists, doing it for Steve Bannon or anyone else in the ‘Alt Right’ should be a cinch.  That’s not to say we condone what they do or say, or support the organizations as a whole.  Of course not.  Nobody ever condoned Muslim terrorism.  Minimized the role that Islam played in their motivation perhaps.  Tried to understand their anger or rage in light of our meddling foreign policy or economic oppression by way of Western Capitalism.  But at no point did anyone ever actually say what these various terror groups did was good.  Sometimes we were told that opposing terrorism, like fighting a home intruder, could be justified.  But the emphasis was always on the Christian response of love.

So the same for Mr. Bannon.  Truth be told, I don’t know much about Steve Bannon except what I’ve heard.  As a general rule, I don’t go to Breitbart News, for the same reason I don’t go to Daily Kos or Mother Jones.  Too extreme and partisan.  There certainly appears to be problems with what he’s said, if the quotes I’ve read are any indication.  And as a conservative Christian I’m obviously no fan of the Alt Right, since the few I’ve seen who are proud of that label appear to be hell and gone from traditional, conservative Christian values.  Some of them, in fact, don’t appear to like conservatives at all.

Nonetheless, given the high bar for love and forgiveness, prayer and service that we’ve seen directed at Islamic terrorists and anyone else who would attack our brothers and sisters, or fellow countrymen, I’m sure the Alt Right and its representatives deserve the same.  And so do those of the Alt Left.   Liberals. Democrats.  Republicans.  Even some conservatives.   It’s the Christian, not partisan, response.

“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”  Matthew 5:44-45